1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to motorcycles or other vehicles, and specifically to a closure device for a fuel tank.
2. Description of the Related Art
Gasoline tanks on motorcycles are typically filled through an opening in the top of the tank. Typical motorcycle gas caps must extend above the outer surface of the tank, or require an irregular shape in order to be grasped and tightened or loosened. The cap extending upwards tends to be unsightly and undesirable. It is therefor desirable to have a fuel tank closure device which may sit flush with the outer finished surface of the tank.
This has been achieved to a certain degree in some cases by the use of a flush-fitting keyed gas cap. Unfortunately, this requires the rider to carry a separate key which can be lost. Additionally, the keyhole requires part of the cap to have a different finish than the surrounding surface of the tank. Thus it is desirable to have a cap which can be painted to match the surrounding material, including blending complex patterns over the surface of the cap.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fuel tank closure device which will fit flush with the outer surface of the gas tank when closed, but which can be easily removed without the use of extra tools such as keys etc. It is another object of the present invention to provide a fuel tank closure device which will always be returned to its original position such that the orientation of painted patterns may be maintained. Another object of the present invention is to allow gases within a fuel tank to safely vent while preventing liquid fuel from spilling out of the gas tank, even when a vehicle is not in its desired orientation with its wheels on the ground.
A flush-fitting tank cap having features and advantages of the present invention may be characterized by a handle portion which is operatively mounted to a cylinder portion such that the handle portion may be rotated and extended relative to the cylinder portion. The handle portion preferably has a central shaft which extends through a hole bored through the center of the cylinder portion. The central shaft preferably has a pin substantially near its distal end which fits into a slot in the cylinder portion. A flush-fitting tank cap having features and advantages of the present invention also preferably includes a rubber gasket or washer to seal the cap to the opening in the neck of the gas tank.
The handle portion is preferably movable between an xe2x80x9cupxe2x80x9d and a xe2x80x9cdownxe2x80x9d position. In the xe2x80x9cupxe2x80x9d position, the handle portion is preferably raised above the top of the cylinder portion, and is substantially rotationally fixed, but linearly movable in the downward direction relative to the cylinder portion. In this position, rotation of the handle portion may allow the cap to be screwed into or out of the correspondingly threaded gas tank opening. In order to move from the up position to the down position, the handle portion is pushed downwards and rotated to its down position. In the down position, the pin rests in a notch formed at some angle relative to the slot. In some embodiments, a baffle plate may be secured to the distal end of the cylinder to prevent liquid fuel from leaking from the gas tank while permitting the venting of gases around at least a portion of the plate.
The handle portion of a flush-fitting tank cap having features and advantages of the present invention is preferably adapted such that the handle portion of the cap will always be replaced in exactly the same position after each use such that the orientation of any painted patterns incorporating the finished surface of the cap may be maintained.
For purposes of summarizing the invention and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain objects and advantages of the invention have been described herein above. Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.